McDonald’s to test new menus in S.A. area

With In-N-Out now open in San Antonio, the Alamo City is finally privy to the restaurant's no-so-secret secret menu. But, lots of other fast food restaurants in San Antonio have secret menus too! Secret menu items are regular fare with additional ingredients, or a whole 'nother offering composed of ingredients that the restaurant already has on hand. Sources: HackTheMenu.com and SpoonUniversity.com. less

With In-N-Out now open in San Antonio, the Alamo City is finally privy to the restaurant's no-so-secret secret menu. But, lots of other fast food restaurants in San Antonio have secret menus too! Secret menu ... more

Photo: Screenshot From Twitter

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McDonald's Land, Sea and Air BurgerWhat is it?

Named for the places where its main ingredients can be found, add up a Big Mac (land), a Filet-O-Fish (sea) and a McChicken (air — but do chickens fly?) and top it off with tartar sauce.

It's a Canadian delicacy — French fries in gravy with cheese curds. In the U.S., it seems some take advantage of the fact that a lot of KFCs and Taco Bells share a restaurant, and use the Taco Bell cheese sauce.

One of the restaurant's bunless chicken Double Down sandwiches (two chicken patties with cheese and bacon in the middle), but with an extra cheese-bacon-chicken layer.

KFC Triple Down
What is it?

One of the restaurant's bunless chicken Double Down sandwiches (two chicken patties with cheese and bacon in the middle), but with an extra cheese-bacon-chicken layer.

Photo: Screenshot From Twitter

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Five Guys Cheese FriesWhat are they?

This guy made some at home, but the restaurant's famous fries with cheese on top.

Five Guys Cheese Fries
What are they?

This guy made some at home, but the restaurant's famous fries with cheese on top.

Photo: Screenshot From Twitter

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Five Guys Patty MeltWhat is it?

A cheeseburger from the menu with grilled buns.

Five Guys Patty Melt
What is it?

A cheeseburger from the menu with grilled buns.

Photo: Screenshot From Twitter

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Chick Fil-A QuesadillaWhat is it?

Pretty simple here, a tortilla filled with chicken and cheese.

Chick Fil-A Quesadilla
What is it?

Pretty simple here, a tortilla filled with chicken and cheese.

Photo: Screenshot From Twitter

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Subway Pizza SubWhat is it?

A beloved former menu item, it's a heated sub with pepperoni, cheese and the marinara sauce from the Meatball Sub.

Subway Pizza Sub
What is it?

A beloved former menu item, it's a heated sub with pepperoni, cheese and the marinara sauce from the Meatball Sub.

Photo: Crisco 1492/Wikimedia Commons

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Burger King Chicken Club SandwichWhat is it?

One of the chicken sandwiches, with the addition of bacon, tomato and cheese for a "club" feel.

Burger King Chicken Club Sandwich
What is it?

One of the chicken sandwiches, with the addition of bacon, tomato and cheese for a "club" feel.

Photo: Jerem43/Wikimedia Commons

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Burger King Rodeo BurgerWhat is it?

A past limited offering, it's a cheeseburger with a few onion rings and some barbecue sauce.

Burger King Rodeo Burger
What is it?

A past limited offering, it's a cheeseburger with a few onion rings and some barbecue sauce.

Photo: Screenshot From Twitter

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Burger King Suicide BurgerWhat is it?

It's no 100x100, but the four patties, four slices of cheese and a pile of bacon will probably clog your arteries just the same.

Burger King Suicide Burger
What is it?

It's no 100x100, but the four patties, four slices of cheese and a pile of bacon will probably clog your arteries just the same.

Photo: Screenshot From Twitter

McDonald’s to test new menus in S.A. area

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SAN ANTONIO — McDonald’s will use its more than 120 restaurants in and around San Antonio to determine if a cleaner, more customizable menu can help lift sagging sales and declining profits.

The struggling fast-food chain announced Monday that San Antonio will serve as one of six test markets in the United States for a menu platform that lets customers mix and match individually priced entree orders with different side options, instead of the typical fries and soft drink. Alternatives include a side salad, sundae, three cookies and more.

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Carlos Rodriguez, who owns and operates three McDonald’s locations in the area, said that while customers initially need some time to understand that they no longer order numbered Extra Value Meals, the variety seems to impress them.

“It’s really interesting,” Rod-riguez said. “You see a lot of people choosing what they want.

“I’ve seen a lot more Big Macs on trays than I have in the past, but people add side salads instead of the fries,” he added. “Now they can eat what they want when they want it.”

The individually priced entrees separate into two categories: premium, such as the Bacon Habanero Quarter Pounder, and classic, including the popular McRib sandwich, which made its return to McDonald’s menus Monday and will remain there until the end of the year, according to a company representative.

“The exciting thing is that we’re trying something new,” Rodriguez said. “McDonald’s being the corporate player in this market is always testing new stuff, and this one really responds to the new trends and what customers are asking for.”

The experiment comes just a few days after McDonald’s posted another disappointing quarter, with CEO Don Thompson last week saying the company hasn’t been keeping up with the times and that changes are in store for its U.S. restaurants.

Thompson said that starting in January, McDonald's will “simplify” its menu to make room for restaurants to offer options that are best-suited for their regions. To offer greater customization, he said the company planned to expand its “Create Your Taste” offering, which lets people pick the buns and toppings they want on burgers by tapping a touchscreen. The program is being offered in Southern California, and McDonald's has said it will roll it out nationally in Australia.

“We haven't been changing at the same rate as our customers' eating-out expectations,” Thompson conceded during a conference call outlining the changes.

The remarks came after McDonald's said sales at established locations fell 3.3 percent globally and in the U.S. division, marking the fourth straight quarter of declines in its home market. Profit sank 30 percent.